Lesser or Greater?

[Bill Dix]

Taken at Pine Point, ME several weeks ago. His bill is slightly longer than the head, and slightly upturned; and there is a slight streaking on the flank. I wasn't sure if these attributes are pronounced enough for him to be considered a Greater Yellowlegs. I had initially titled my file as Lesser, but now I'm thinking otherwise. Any help welcomed.

[John Chardine]

Hi Bill- Yours is a Greater Yellowlegs. From late summer to late fall I have both species locally and tell them apart quickly by size, overall gray head and upper breast compared to the speckled Greater, and a softer look in the face. In my experience the bills are variable in the Greaters but generally they are like yours- large and slightly upturned. Compare that to the Lesser's bill posted- straight and finer.

[Bill Dix]

Thanks John.

[Chantelle Voss]

Thanks for the great reply John, I've had trouble with this same identification in the past. Two great images, they really help to clear things up.

[Chris Sloan]

A good rule of thumb is to look at the length of the bill relative to the head. In Lesser the ratio is around 1:1. In Greater it's usually between 1.5:1 and 2:1. You can very clearly see that difference in the two images above.